One drone to outfly them all

If you’re an avid videographer, chances are you either have one or thinking of adding a drone into your arsenal of “cool tools” that can add some pizazz to your video production. I don’t blame you. For a long time, adding bird’s eye-view perspectives to video was only possible for big budget production. Enter the drones and this visual effect has come within easy reach of independent moviemakers and hobbyists who, with a bit of investment, can now add swooping aerial shots into their repertoire of visual effects. No wonder then that many have taken the plunge, diving deep into their pockets to purchase the various variety of quadcopters available in the market today.

In fact, drones and high definition video footage taken by drones have become so popular that almost every wedding videographer out to make a name for him/herself has at least one among his/her standard gear. Drones are also more and more a staple in TV journalism, with CNN and BBC regular using them in their reports from the field.

But it’s one thing to watch smooth, overhead footage from the sky and another to actually make one. These drones are not easy to fly and I speak from experience.

My first foray with a quadcopter (which I received as a gift Christmas) was a disaster. I diligently pored over the manual and did some preliminary test inside the house, scaring the dog and scarring my wife’s house plants in the process. Then off we went to the park where I figured the wide open spaces and lack of barriers like electrical wires would lessen the chance of tragedy ever happening.

It was not to be. That drone had a mind of its own and I spent the next seven minutes proving how complete of an idiot I am, well at least when it comes to flying drones. It would not hover, nor bank left or right. Then it would just soar really high beyond my control and crash and get tangled in the trees. All in all, I spent more time chasing and searching for it in the bushes than actually flying that darned thing. And then the battery ran out.

But do not let my unfortunate experience with an entry-level model dissuade you from getting that drone you always wanted. More expensive models are definitely more maneuverable, some coming with features like “take me home” and can be controlled via a smart phone or tablet.

And then comes Lily

While newer drone models are coming out with ever-smarter technology, none have come as close as the Lily camera in its promise of ease of use. Lily’s mantra is “just throw it and it will follow”. What could be easier than that? On top of that, it flies itself, is waterproof and comes equipped with high quality optics.

Lily is not out yet. You can pre-order now but delivery of the first units will not be until January 2016. But this has not prevented interest from growing. On the contrary, a blog post on Lily’s web site claims that, since the first announcement, the video featured above had gone viral and millions have visited the Lily web site.